Recently, there has been significant interest and demand for wireless alarm systems. Accordingly, dealers, technicians and installers of alarm systems have been attempting to modify traditional hardwired alarm panels for purposes of adapting and incorporating them into a wireless alarm system. Such traditional hard wired systems typically have resistors on the wire runs throughout the building or structure in which they are installed. These resistors can be located at a window, in the building frame or within the walls.
In order to upgrade or replace an existing alarm panel that has traditional hardwired loops or zones, the end of line resistors of the wire runs have needed to be removed and updated resistors have been needed to be incorporated consistent with the new system. Many times, this involves digging into a wall or window frame, which can cause significant damage to the building structure and take up valuable install time. This in turn can lead to additional labor time and increase costs.
FIG. 1 illustrates a prior art monitoring system having a plurality of wired loops to which various types of detectors can be coupled. Each of the loops would usually have an end of line resistor.
Wired systems, such as system 10 in FIG. 1, at installation did not provide wireless communications with installed detectors. As illustrated in FIG. 1, in system 10, a control unit, or panel 12 is coupled via a zone interface to a plurality 14 of wire loops each of which terminates in an end-of-line resistor, such as resistors 16. Each of the wire loops supports a plurality of detectors, such as smoke, gas or thermal detectors. A displaced monitoring station M can communicate with panel 12 as would be understood by those of skill in the art. Any attempt at upgrading panel 12 has required addressing the end-of-line resistor problem.